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Serena Williams Re-Enters ITIA Testing Pool, Eligible to Compete as Early as April 2026

The agency says the step does not confirm a comeback.

Overview

  • ITIA spokesperson Adrian Bassett confirmed to The Athletic that Williams is back in the international whereabouts pool and appears on an updated list dated October 6.
  • Anti-doping rules require six months in the pool before competition, making the earliest possible event entry April 2026.
  • Bassett said he could not confirm Williams’s competitive plans, stating only that her whereabouts are now registered for out-of-competition testing.
  • Media reports, citing The Athletic, speculate that a US Open 2026 mixed-doubles wildcard could be a likely route, though no entry has been announced.
  • Williams last took a bow at the 2022 US Open and later had her second child, while Venus Williams is slated to play Auckland from January 5 to 11, 2026.